By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Gombe
The Gombe State Government has cautioned farmers against encroaching on cattle routes and grazing reserves as it moved to prevent farmers-herders conflicts during the 2026 farming season.
The government also directed herders to desist from night grazing and grazing on cultivated farmlands, warning both groups against actions capable of triggering violence.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Sani Ahmad Haruna, gave the warning during the reactivation of the Farmers-Herders Prevention and Settlement of Disputes Committee in Gombe.
Haruna said the committee would provide a platform for resolving disputes before they escalate, adding that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had directed that the farming season should be peaceful.
He stressed that no life should be lost over disputes involving farmland or grazing areas and directed the 11 local government chairmen to replicate the committee at the local government, LCDA, district and ward levels.
“A cow needs grass to survive, while a farmer needs land to feed his family,” he said, urging farmers and herders to respect each other’s means of livelihood.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Abdulkadir Waziri Muhammad, said farmers and herders had been directed to avoid activities capable of causing conflict between October 1 and January 31.
He specifically warned against night grazing and grazing on farms where crops had not been harvested.
Waziri urged farmers to harvest their crops promptly and avoid burning crop residues, which he said could serve as livestock feed and help reduce tensions.
He added that the government would facilitate the restoration, where appropriate, of cattle routes, grazing reserves and other designated areas.
The Commissioner for Livestock Development, Salihu Baba Alkali, said efforts were ongoing to demarcate and remap grazing reserves and stock routes.
He said investments in livestock infrastructure, including water facilities, veterinary services, livestock markets and milk collection centres, were also being made to improve productivity and address factors contributing to conflicts.
The state Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Modibo Yaya, and his counterpart in the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Modibbo Sadiq Nafada, commended the government for promoting dialogue and called for peaceful resolution of disputes.
